The Elibe Chronicles: The War
by Hikaru Morinaga
Summary: It all started when Roy received a letter from his father saying he needed to come home. After that, it seemed destiny shouldered him with something much bigger... RoyxLilina, various other pairings. In the process of being revised.
1. Two Weeks Before

**The War**

**-One-**

_**Two Weeks Before**_

"Lilina?"

Lilina looked up from the paper she was writing about the Scouring for her class on Elibean History to the doorway of the parlour, where a familiar boy with garish red hair stood partially slouched over the door. She stopped mid scribble, the feather pen now slack in her fingers, and faced her latest distraction.

"What is it, Roy?"

Roy straightened up his posture and coughed into his fist, his way of excusing his indignity in her presence without actually coming out and saying anything. It was also, Lilina mused, his way of changing the topic.

"Lord Hector passed by me on the way to the library, he said he needed to see you in his study."

Lilina set the pen down. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Roy said. "He told me nothing else, just that."

Lilina nodded. "All right, let me just finish this up and I'll be down to see him."

Roy did an informal salute and left his place at the doorway, mantle billowing out over his shoulders.

_He must've just come back from his riding lessons_, Lilina thought, explaining away the way he was dressed—mantle, loose clothing, and strange way of walking. She giggled as she excused herself from the parlour, slipping through the opened door, and began the walk to her father's study.

_Roy never did look right in a saddle_.

-x-

Lilina was rarely called to her father's study, and thought it a little odd he would send for her. Then again, she figured it had to be pretty important for him to do so. She couldn't even remember the last time she had ever visited it—if ever. But regardless, she knew the way, and navigated the dimly lit corridors of Castle Ostia, going down a staircase and through two seemingly never-ending hallways before she reached the heavy wooden door at the dead end. She knocked on the door frame before turning the door handle and opening the door enough to peek into the room.

"Daddy?" she called, quietly at first, to let him know she was there in case he didn't hear the knocking. Hector hastily shoved a bunch of paperwork onto the growing pile on his desk and turned around in his chair.

"Yes, sweetheart?" She opened the door wider.

"You sent for me?"

Hector turned his chair around so he could sit like a 'dignified noble' should—he had an example to set for his daughter, after all—and replied, "Sit down, sweetheart."

Lilina opened the door fully and walked into the room. Hector, who tired of the whole 'dignified noble' thing after five seconds, propped his feet up on the small table near his work area, and Lilina sat down across from him. Hector waved the guard outside the door away, and the door was closed, leaving him and Lilina alone.

"Oswin would yell at you for sitting like that, Daddy," Lilina said in a mock-scolding tone. Hector just rolled his eyes and moved his arms behind his head.

"Well Oswin isn't here, so let's just keep this between you and me," he replied, matching her mock-serious tone. "Sitting like this isn't going to cause the world to end or a scandal to start. Imagine that going around Elibe—'Marquess Ostia likes to relax in his chair, props his feet up on the tale'. No one would be surprised by it though. At least Marquess Pherae over there wouldn't be." He muttered the last part.

Lilina sat back in her chair, relishing the softness of the cushions. The chair in the parlour wasn't really all that comfortable anymore, the stuffing in the cushion matted down after years of use.

"Roy told me you needed to see me," she said, her head propped up on her arm using the arm rest. Hector nodded.

"I just wanted you to know that I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning to go to a meeting in another Lycian territory. I need you to stay here to keep things from going to hell." Lilina nodded and leaned forward in her chair, preparing to leave. It must have been a pretty special meeting if her father shaved for the occasion but she said nothing about it, and Hector continued.

"And another thing…"

Lilina sat back in her seat. She didn't expect anything else to be said. Her father went away on business all the time. What was so different now?

"Yes, Daddy?"

"I know I've said this many times before, but in the event I ever get dragged into a war of some kind and I don't make it back... Promise me you won't go into hysterics." He looked her straight in the eyes when he said this, even sat up in his chair. "You will always have Oswin and Serra to help you, and Eliwood and Roy will certainly support you as well, get you adjusted… Things like that. I have it all planned out."

Lilina nodded. "Yes, Daddy, I know. You've told me this since I was a kid. The whole thing about being a warrior's daughter is to expect the worse and so on." Hector leaned over and ruffled her hair, and she giggled.

"I've taught you that for a reason," he said with a slight smile as he appreciated his daughter, like looking at her with new eyes. "You need to be prepared to lead Ostia in the event I decide I want a permanent vacation."

Lilina flinched at 'permanent vacation', but nodded nonetheless. "Of course."

"And lastly, I need to tell you about the location of the Durandal."

Hector leaned even closer to her, as if he was planning a plot to conspire against the King of Bern himself.

"There is a secret place in Ostia," he said, and gave her the exact location before continuing on, his voice just above a whisper, "and the only other people who know about it are Eliwood and Oswin. They will help you in the event you need it."

Hector got up and went over to a bookshelf. Pulling a leather-bound tome from the dark and musty shelf, because Hector wasn't the type to sit around and read after all, and wordlessly opened it, grasped what looked like a key-shaped object, removed it, and replaced the book in its usual place. The marquess walked over to Lilina and dropped the small object into her lap; her fingers grasped the cold, metal object and she looked at it, acting as if it would tell her what its use was for.

"That key," he went on, "is for that secret place. There you will have access to the Divine Weapons...or the ones that were placed there, anyway." He turned the chair around and straddled it, not caring about proper ways a noble should sit in a chair.

Lilina sat there, staring at the key as if the fate of the world was dependent on it.

"...But why are you telling me all of this?" Lilina definitely wanted to know, even though her father probably wouldn't tell her. Was he trying to hint at something? He had often joked with her before that he had a gift for premonition, but she had never believed him. Was it actually true?

Hector leaned forward and the back of the chair groaned as he put his weight on it, the front legs lifting off the ground as the chair tipped over slightly. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and made a gesture with his hand.

"I figure it's more of an 'in case I die, use this to aid you in your quest' thing. I feel a lot better knowing that I covered all my bases and told you the most important things you should know of in case I never come home." She knew he was keeping something from her, but she didn't know what exactly.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, her voice soft, "You know... before you head off to wherever?" Hector shrugged once again.

"Before I head off to Araphen? Somehow I doubt it, since I'll be leaving right at dawn, but it's entirely possible you'll run into me. But just in case I don't..."

Hector made a gesture with his hand, beckoning her to close the distance between them. She stood up, key still in her hand, and moved so she stood right in front of him. He opened his arms and pulled her close, her arms went around his neck and they embraced each other tightly.

"I love you, Lilina," he said, his voice muffled by her hair. He turned and kissed the side of her head. "I want you to always know that."

"I know, Daddy," Lilina replied. "But I love you more." Hector chuckled and rubbed her back. It had been a while since Hector had some time alone with his daughter, what with him being so busy and her having no time in between her studies. It was nice, just the two of them, with no interruptions.

He didn't have the heart to tell her he was leaving to go off and prepare for war with Bern.

-x-

**Author's Notes:** Before anyone wonders why this wasn't the same as they last remembered, that's because it isn't. I'm actually in the process of revising this story so it flows better, is written better, and has a lot more depth. So for those who are new to the fic, you won't notice a difference, but for anyone who's read it before, you'll be able to see the changes.


	2. To Pherae!

**The War**

**-Two-**

_To Pherae!_

Hector had left before Lilina awoke, and she sleepily made her way over to the window to see if the carriage her father was on was still visible. There was no sign of them, meaning they were likely outside of Ostia by now, headed for Araphen. Her eyes fluttered as she looked at the sunlight, and there was not a cloud in sight—a great for traveling, or spending time outside period. There was a figure headed towards the castle, and Lilina squinted to see who it was. Red hair, blue clothing, a sheathed rapier hanging from his sword belt—she recognized him as Roy right away. In a city where blue hair was not an uncommon thing, Roy stuck out like a sore thumb. The horse he was riding looked more agreeable than the last one he rode away on, and he didn't look terrified this time. For someone who grew up practically attached to General Marcus's hip, he really didn't like horses that much.

She moved away from the window and stifled a yawn as she went to her wardrobe and picked out what she was to wear for the day. She heard the grandfather clock down the hall chime six times and figured everyone else was probably just waking up, if they weren't all ready awake. After she tied the last bow needed, she opened the door to her bedroom and walked out of it, gently closing it with a slight 'click' of the locking mechanism. She stopped at the landing of the first set of stairs when she heard voices filtering up from the entrance hall—one of them she knew was Oswin's, but the other one… The reverberation from the walls made it difficult to discern.

Tentatively, she took a small step down, and winced when she heard the step creak. Figuring it was best to just go down the one set and see what was going on, she quickly walked down the stairs, trying to silence her footfalls as she did so. Once she was safely on the landing, she saw Oswin in the doorway of the front hall talking to someone, though she couldn't make out who was on the other side, even though she moved slightly in a vain attempt to see. What she did see, however, was what looked to be a piece of folded up parchment exchange hands. Oswin nodded his head slightly, the other person bowed, and he closed the door; the other person with him made himself known.

"Oh, Lilina, I didn't expect for you to be up," said Roy, who was looking at the envelope he was given from a messenger. He pocketed it and undid the clasp of his cloak.

"What was that all about?" she asked, walking down the rest of the stairs.

"Oh, it was just Lowen," Roy said off-handedly, as he headed for the stairs. "He wanted to give me a letter from my father. He said to read it when I have the time, so I was headed to the library after I put all of my things away."

Lilina nodded, accepting that explanation. "Did you see my father before he left?"

Roy furrowed his brow as he thought back, his hand on the banister. "I caught a glimpse of him when I went out riding. He left later than I would have expected, but I think that's because he ran into some kind of problem…" He shook his head. "Don't mind that last part. I did see him, and I saw him off before I went off to my lessons. Why?"

Lilina shrugged. "No reason, I just wanted to make sure he left all right." She smiled and excused herself, figuring she ate up enough of Roy's time. Besides, she had some sort of audience in ten minutes that she had to be prepped for.

_No wonder my father hated audiences so much. All this waiting around for not much._

-x-

Lilina, in an attempt to get away from everyone else for the afternoon—she was weary from the audiences that kept her busy all morning—decided to go and see if Roy was still in the library. She figured he still was, because Roy spent most of his time there, especially in between his lessons, but you just never know. She came to the worn, mahogany doors of the library, where the sunlight came through the windows full-force, and where a light breeze came through, before she placed her hand on the door handle, turned it, and pushed the doors open.

"Roy?" Lilina called as she entered the brightly lit library. "Roy?" she called again, her eyes scanned the room and she caught not one glimpse of the Pheraean.

"Roy? Are you in here?" She walked in between various oak wooded shelves, hoping to find him lost behind a bookcase or something.

"Over here," he replied, as he scanned the shelves for another book to add to his large pile before sitting back down. Lilina followed his voice, spotted him, and walked over to him. He was, as usual, sitting behind a rather large pile of books, some of them for his studies, others simply for background reading. She sat down next to him and noticed the opened letter on top of the rest of his papers.

"How were the audiences?" he asked, a book on various sword techniques open in front of him.

"Boring," she replied, stretching her arms out in front of her. Sitting there listening to everyone's problems took a lot out of her, and all she wanted was a nice nap in her room, or at least some peace and quiet out in the gardens…

"What were they about?"

"Things about bandits and outer-lying villages and whether we'll be okay with my father gone… All sorts of things like that."

"Not exactly how I'd like to spend my morning," Roy said. "Maybe it's different when you're the marquess, though, and not just filling in."

Lilina stared at the cover of one of Roy's books. "Maybe… Speaking of marquesses, how is your father doing?"

Roy shoved a few pages of parchment into the book he was reading and grabbed the letter Lowen had delivered a few hours before.

"He's still sick, though the healers said he should be on the road to recovery soon. Still complaints of a cough, and that worries me…"

Lilina placed her hand on top of Roy's, the one gripping the already crinkled paper, and squeezed it reassuringly. "Your father will be fine." She smiled at him. "He's tough, like my own father."

Roy couldn't help but smile back at her and he placed his hand atop hers.

"Did the letter say anything else?" She stared at their hands, how they were the same and yet so different at the same time. Aside from callouses on her fingertips from practicing magic like Fire spells, her hands were smooth, the complete opposite of Roy's rough ones, hardened from years of practicing the sword.

"It did," Roy said. "You can read the letter if you want to. You'd hear about it anyway."

Lilina took the letter from Roy's hand and he disentangled themselves so he could clean up his workspace. It started off innocently enough, asking about Roy's health and talking of his own. But as she got deeper into the letter, it turned to darker topics.

_You have return to Pherae as soon as possible_, the letter said. _I hate to do this since you're still studying, but I've been left no choice thanks to this illness. With an invasion and subsequent war from Bern looming in the distance, Lycia has to take up arms to protect her. In my current state I cannot do anything—I would be too much of a burden. Hector has advised that I send you in my stead, though he feels the same as I in regards to sending you. I will give you more details when you return to Pherae. I am sending your vassals to you along with Marcus as your escorts for your journey home._

Lilina looked up from the letter in disbelief and looked worriedly at Roy.

"We're going to war?"

Roy took the letter back and tucked it in between the pages of another book. "It's possible. We don't know much, though. I have a feeling my father didn't tell too much in the letter in case it got intercepted, or an undercover spy managed to overhear…"

"I would know if there were foreign spies here," Lilina said. "We have the best spies in Lycia. Matthew would have informed me. Your father just didn't want to overwhelm you or have you worry overmuch."

Roy sighed and walked with her out of the library. "I guess you're right."

"I'll let Oswin know that your vassals are coming and that you'll be leaving soon."

Roy smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." She waved him goodbye and went off to find where her father's retainer might be; Roy meanwhile continued on to his room to get his things in order.

-x-

A week passed uneventfully. Roy continued his studies as much as he could before he had to leave and spent as much time with Lilina as the day would allow. He would escort her around Ostia when duty dictated she visit the villages as her father did whenever there was a dispute, or when it advised he make sure everything was just fine. They practiced in the training arena, the same place where their fathers did the same when they were their age. Roy watched in awe of her ability to just sync with the magic as it flowed through her, and managed to remember to dodge fast enough before he got singed by her Fire spell.

"That makes…four draws," Lilina said, marking the chart that she kept by the training equipment. "Four draws, ten wins, and ten losses."

"I thought it was four draws and an even thirteen split?"

Lilina showed him the chart. "I record these things so there aren't any disputes."

"Well you can always record wrong."

Lilina shoved him playfully and threatened him with her Fire tome. Roy conceded the point and walked her out of the training arena. Roy knew not to push her stubborn streak—she got that from her father, after all.

"I'm going with you," Lilina stated out of the blue, as they walked back to the castle. Roy stopped short of the hill that led up to the courtyard. A breeze wafted through the air, ruffling Roy's cloak and their hair and clothes. Lilina tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Going _where_ with me?"

"To Pherae," Lilina explained, continuing up the path lined with hedges and flowers of all kinds.

"No," Roy said, running to catch up with her, "it's too dangerous for you to come. The route to Pherae's all along the border of Bern, and Elimine knows that if bandits don't attack us, Bernese militia would."

Lilina crossed her arms around her magic books.

"I am _not_ a helpless little girl anymore, Roy. You don't have to protect me anymore, not that I can defend myself with my magic."

"I _know_ you're not a little girl anymore, Lilina, but I _don't want you killed__._ What would I tell Lord Hector if something happened to you on the way to Pherae? He'd never forgive me! I'd never forgive myself!"

"But if I go _with_ you, I'll have you and your vassals, not to mention Marcus."

"No, Lilina. You're staying here. You've no reason to come with me."

"Sure I do," she countered, admiring the leaves slowly fading from green to gold. "Your father is sick, and I haven't seen him in… Gosh, I can't remember the last time. It's only right, after all."

"I'll send him your regards," Roy argued.

"If you're so against me going with you," Lilina said, reaching the apex of the hill and the gate of the courtyard, "then I'll just on ahead."

Roy blocked her path to the gate entrance.

"Are you _crazy_? That's even worse!"

"I'll be fine," Lilina said, trying to convince him. "I can protect myself. I know magic. I can fight."

"Lilina... It'd be one thing if you went with me, but to go by yourself? Pherae's by bandit-occupied mountains—my father is always sending knights to dispatch bandits there to the villages."

"General Cecilia says my magic is good. I can hold my own if I needed to. Besides, then I can tell your father you're on your way home."

"You're not going alone—"

"I've made up my mind," Lilina said as she cut Roy off. "I'll stay as far away from the mountains by going through Thria and Laus."

"Fine," Roy said, sighing. "But if something happens to you...I will never forgive myself for letting you do this."

Lilina hugged him tightly. "You worry too much."

Roy opened the gate and ushered her inside.

"I suppose I'll have to tell Oswin my plans," Lilina said with a sigh. "It would be irresponsible of me otherwise."

"He might send people to make sure you're all right."

"We already have spies everywhere in Lycia, I'm sure he'll have them send reports to make sure I've arrived where I've said I was going."

"Makes sense."

Lilina giggled as she leaned against the archway to the kitchens.

"What's so funny?"

"You," Lilina said. She watched Roy's expression turn clueless.

"Me? Why?"

"I can't believe you're letting me do this, and so easily too."

"It wouldn't do me any good," Roy admitted. "You're Lord Hector's daughter. No one can change your mind about anything, and I'm certainly not going to try."

She looked at him then, at the serious expression on his face now, and let out even more squeals of laughter.

"You're so cute sometimes," she said, causing him to blush and look at the door instead. She grabbed his hand and pushed the door open.

"Let's get something to eat," she continued. "I'm starving. I'm sure they're cooking up something good…"

-x-

"Master Roy, we have all your things loaded up and ready for you." Allen wiped the sweat from his auburn locks and Roy noticed he looked awfully cheerful today, which was a little unnerving, but Roy shook it off. It had been a while since he had seen Allen last, and forgot just how cheerful he could be. Sometimes that attitude got him in trouble with General Marcus because it caused him to become a little cocky in training.

"When my father said he was sending my vassals, I thought he meant one in addition to Marcus. He didn't have to send _everyone_."

"Lance isn't here," Allen said. "He's still back in Pherae, keeping an eye on things."

"Lord Eliwood made it clear that I was to take two and leave one to defend the castle should it need it," Marcus added. "We should be fine on the way back—Allen has been training diligently since you left, and Wolt insisted on coming along. You could not be in better hands, Master Roy."

Roy smiled. "Thank you, Marcus."

Wolt was scouting the area—he had never been to Ostia before. The sun was shining, and though it was said that today was likely to be another warm, dry day, the constant breeze kept it comfortable, and the trees around provided ample enough shade until they left Ostia proper. You couldn't tell autumn was on its way.

"Do you know if Lady Lilina made it safely to Pherae?" came a voice from behind Roy.

"And you are?" Marcus questioned, sticking close to Roy out of instinct. Marcus had never seen this green haired, heavily armored man before nor did he know his intentions or how he knew about Lilina.

"I am Bors of the armored knights of Ostia," said the man, and he bowed before Roy and his vassals. "Lord Hector left me as one of her retainers."

Marcus relaxed, glad to know this man wasn't an enemy or a threat.

"If you're one of Lady Lilina's retainers, then why are you not with her in Pherae?" Allen asked, his lance balanced on his shoulders, arms keeping it in place.

"She refused my aid," Bors reasoned, "saying she wanted to go alone. We have reports from contacts in Thria and Laus saying she arrived there safely, but none in Pherae."

"Lady Lilina is fine," Marcus assured. "She arrived shortly before we left. We were actually expecting Master Roy to be escorting her, but she was alone."

Bors breathed a sigh of relief and his armor suddenly did not feel so heavy or so hot with worry.

"Lilina's going to need an escort back from Pherae," Roy said, as Wolt helped him onto a horse. The horse whinnied softly, but stayed relatively still as Wolt climbed behind his master.

"If you want to, you can come along with us and see her herself."

Bors nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea, Master Roy. I will let my superiors know of my plans and then I will return to walk alongside you."

They watched Bors head back for the castle and, once he was inside, Marcus mounted his horse and gave Roy a look.

"Master Roy, why did you let Lady Lilina go on ahead of you? Do you know how dangerous such a decision is?" Marcus had gone off into full-on Marcus-the-Father mode with a side of what-would-Lord-Hector-think, and ended it with, "Even your father, in his youth, was not so reckless!"

Roy held the reins loosely and shifted slightly in the saddle. "Believe me, Marcus, I tried to dissuade her, but Lilina's quite the stubborn one and kept reassuring me she would be fine. I had no choice but to give up and let her go. I figured it would have been safer if she went through Lycian territories than along the mountains and the border…"

Marcus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with a gloved hand.

"What am I to do with you, Master Roy?"

Roy laughed. "I'm sure you've wondered that about my father many times when he was my age too." Roy spurred the horse and cantered out towards the city proper.

"Master Roy," Allen called, "where are you going?"

"To the city," he said over his shoulder. "I've got some last minute errands to take care of."

"But—"

"I've got Wolt with me, I'll be fine!" Roy eased the horse into a light gallop, leaving Allen and Marcus to wait for Bors at the castle entrance.


End file.
